3 Ways to Get Inspired Right at Your Desk

Posted by The Editors on January 19, 2012

What does it take to get your creative juices flowing? An office shaped like a pirate ship? Or perhaps you prefer typing away in a Peter Pan-like tree house fashioned with silk leaves and your very own slide—just in case you don’t feel like taking the stairs that day. Oh yes, these offices exist!

According to this Wall Street Journalarticle, Davison International Inc., a 285-employee company that designs and creates kitchen gadgets, toys, and other consumer products has built their office interior to look like something out of Disney World—all in the name of fostering creativity. I can’t imagine those employees complaining. Who wouldn’t want to work in a medieval castle appropriately named “Inventalot”?

Unfortunately we all can’t transform our workspaces into Tim Burton film sets, but despair not, my fellow readers and workers. Here are a few ways to keep the creativity flowing freely in your cubicles.

1. Line the Walls Hang up posters, artwork, and anything else that puts your retinas to use. Staring at white walls all day won’t motivate you to do anything but take longer lunch breaks. If you’re on a budget, use your printer. Go to Pinterest and print out anything and everything that inspires you and your work. I’m a big fan of motivational quotes, which you can see here, and will be taking the necessary steps to hang one or two of these on my own office wall. I might even hang up a Twilight calendar too. (Don’t judge me. It’s wall art!)

2. Bedazzle Your Desk Don’t start lining your desk with rhinestones but at least make it cozy and comfortable. I’m going to have to take my own advice on this and transform my desk into something a bit more functional and fun, and a lot less sparse. Right now all I have are a few post-it notes, some pens and a corkboard. Not exactly creative or inspiring. If your desk is looking depressed, bring in a plant (preferably a fake one if you can’t handle watering it), a lamp for those late nights, and colorful office essentials like this or this.

3. Relax in Style It might be worth it to invest in better seating arrangements. Some office chairs can seriously be a pain in the butt. We’ve all been there; Think back to those metal chairs in high school. They didn’t inspire much thinking, at least not for me. There are plenty of fun and lumbar-supporting chairs designed just for your comfort on the job. Just make sure it’s good for thinking—not sleeping.

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